Anniversary
by NoDaybutTooDay
Summary: COMPLETE. Wilson celebrates an anniversary he’d rather not and gets the surprise of his life.


1**Author:** Erin (ChasesGirl7)  
**Date: **February 15, 2007  
**Character(s)/Pairing(s): **House and Wilson (friendship only  
**Rating: **PG-13 for some swearing  
**Category Submitted for:** Angst  
**Spoilers: **Histories  
**Summary: **Wilson celebrates an anniversary he'd rather not and gets the surprise of his life.  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own House or Wilson. Characters property of David Shore, I'm just borrowing them to play for a little while.

House was sitting on his couch. His leg was propped up on the coffee table and he was absentmindedly rubbing his mutilated thigh. His breath was shallow as he waited for the vicoden to kick in. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. He knew he couldn't get up to get it, so he called through the apartment. "Who is it?"

"It's me." Came Wilson's voice. House was somewhat relieved, Wilson had his own key.

"Let yourself in." He shouted once again, turning his face to the mask that he always put up. He still didn't want Wilson knowing how much pain he was in. He heard the key in the lock and the door open. House was momentarily shocked, Wilson was SOAKING. "What the hell did you do? Walk here?" He asked. It was pouring rain outside.

But something was off. Wilson shed his coat and shoes (not that either had done much good) and looked at House, inexpressible sadness in his eyes. "Go into my room and find something to change into." House directed. Wilson nodded wordlessly and headed into his friend's room. He was grateful that House gave direction as he wasn't really sure what to do.

This day -this day- only came once a year. And it was the worst day of the year for Wilson. He had never come to House, but this year it was too much. When he was wearing warm clothes he trudged back into the livingroom. House still hadn't moved and if Wilson had been in his right mind, he would have immediately noticed this. But as it were, he just came and sat next to House, still not speaking, his mind far away.

"Wilson...what's going on?" Came House's gruff voice. It pulled him slightly out of his reverie and he looked up at House with pain filled eyes.

"Today is ten." He said, his voice raw with emotion. House didn't understand.

"Ten what?" He asked.

"Ten years to the day since I last saw my brother." Wilson informed him. All of a sudden it made sense. Why Wilson was soaking wet, why he was so upset and withdrawn. "He was only fifteen." He whispered, finally breaking down. In the last ten years he had never once broken down over his brother. He thought about him all the time and every year he went to the spot he last saw his brother.

"How old were you?" House asked, not really sure what other question to ask.

"Twenty four. I was just getting out of med school and deciding what specialty to chose. Danny was fifteen and in high school. He looked up to me. But he fell in with a bad crowd, he was drinking, doing drugs, having sex. Mom and Dad threatened him. They told him he could either get clean or leave. Danny begged me to help him, but I sided with our parents. And not because I believed they were right, but because they were paying for my school. He ran out of the house and to that street corner. He looked at me and said 'You want me to live like this? I thought you cared about me! I thought you loved me! Piss off, Jimmy.'" Wilson told him, as if in a trance. "Then he turned and ran and I never saw him again." Wilson took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Do you regret it?" House asked, tentatively.

"Every single day." Wilson looked up at him. "I went into oncology because he wanted me to. I remember sitting at home with him, going over books and pamphlets and asking his opinion. And he told me to go work with the cancer kids. That I was a great big brother and I'd make a great doctor to the bald ones." Wilson chuckled slightly. "Honestly, you remind me a lot of him."

And it made sense to House, why Wilson had stuck with him all these years. Why he wanted him off the vicoden, why he put up with him. House was his second chance to do right by his brother. "I told him that I wanted to go into internal medicine. I didn't want to do oncology, but he insisted. That day, I told him I was doing what I wanted, just like he did. Who cared about anyone else." There was another knock at the door. Both House and Wilson looked at each other.

"Get the door, Wilson. I can't get up." House said, in all seriousness. Wilson obeyed and answered the door, wondering who the hell would be visiting at this hour, in this rainstorm. When he opened the door, he literally lost his breath. Time had aged him. But his eyes...he couldn't forget those eyes.

"Danny?" He whispered and House whipped around so fast he almost fell off the couch. "How...what...who is that?" He asked, pointing to a little girl in his arms.

"Jimmy." The other man said, his eyes filling with tears.

"Daddy?" Came the voice of the little girl. She had been asleep but she woke up. Danny put the little girl on the ground.

"It's okay baby. This is your Uncle Jimmy, remember I've shown you pictures and told you stories?" He said. She yawned and nodded. Both House and Wilson were utterly speechless.

"But...how did you find me?" Wilson finally said.

"I've been coming to that spot every year for ten years, too, Jimmy." Danny said, his voice rough with emotion. "I've watched you and wanted to go and say something, but didn't have the nerve. I thought you hated me. But..." he choked. "I had to come see you. I was going to come over to you when you left, so I followed you here. "I need you, Jimmy."

Wilson moved back to the couch and sat down next to House. He still couldn't talk, so Danny continued. "This is Jamie. I named her after you. She's only four years old." Danny's eyes filled with tears. "She has cancer, Jimmy."


End file.
